Sugar Farmers Work to Avoid Future CAFTAs
July 27, 2005
ASA

WASHINGTON—America’s sugar farmers and workers tonight vowed to turn their attention to future trade deals with Thailand, the Andean Countries, Brazil, and others as the Congress narrowly approved the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). CAFTA passed the House of Representatives by a mere 2-vote margin, yet sugar farmers are already looking to the future.

“This bloody CAFTA battle served no one’s best interests, and it’s our hope that everyone learns from this experience,” said Terry Jones, a Wyoming farmer and president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. “We never asked for this fight, but it was one we had to fight. America’s sugar farmers would like to work in a bipartisan effort with Congress and the Administration to keep future trade debates from reaching this point.”

The United States is currently negotiating trade deals with 21 other sugar-producing countries, which export 25 million tons of sugar annually—enough to eliminate U.S. sugar production.

“If CAFTA becomes the precedent, this will be just the first round of a 21-round fight,” explained Louisiana cane farmer Jessie Breaux after the vote. “We don’t want to fight this battle over and over again, but we’re prepared to if we have to. We cannot let a failed trade policy destroy an industry that’s been part of Louisiana for more than 200 years.”

Steve Williams, a Minnesota sugarbeet producer and president of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, added: “America’s sugar farmers are indebted to the members of Congress who stood by us on CAFTA, and we hope we can count on them to oppose any trade deal that gives away more of our sugar market.”

Sugar farmers emphasized that they are not opposed to trade liberalization, and said they welcome the opportunity to address sugar issues at the World Trade Organization level, where foreign subsidies can be addressed.

“Tonight, we invite all sugar-producing countries to sit down with us at the WTO negotiating table,” said Fritz Stein, a sugar grower from Florida. “Let’s eliminate all subsidies and all tariffs and compete as business people. We are efficient and believe we can go toe to toe with farmers around the globe.”

The United States is the only major sugar producer that has ever granted significant market access to another sugar producer in a bilateral or regional trade agreement. America is already the world’s fourth largest net sugar importer, importing from 41 countries whether the U.S. market needs the sugar or not.

For more information about U.S. sugar policy, visit www.sugaralliance.org

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